Course overview

Do you have an interest in marketing and its role in modern business?

Are you looking for a career in marketing, but have yet to decide whether this is in communications, market research, product management, consultancy or a more general role?

Do you see yourself as a marketing specialist working with others from different areas of business?

If so, then this course is definitely for you.

Faced with today's highly sophisticated customers, the need for effective marketing is greater than ever. To achieve its aims in the face of increasingly demanding customers and against ever greater competition, businesses are required to have a deep understanding of customer needs and the ability to offer highly distinctive and valued products and services in new and interesting ways.

This degree will provide a firm grounding in all aspects of modern marketing and can be studied over three or four years, with the option to undertake a one-year placement working in a paid, full-time role consisting of continues progression and a suitable level of responsibility.

Over the course of your degree you will develop a range of work skills such as creativity, critical analysis, problem-solving, team-working, and communication. This is in addition to developing your marketing strengths while dealing with curent topics and issues in marketing.

We are interested in those who want to enhance their communication and presentation skills, and who are keen to work both independently and as part of a group. Proficiency in ICT will be vital to your future career in marketing and we will support your development by offering access to our computer suites and academic support services.

This degree is recognised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and graduates benefit from entry to later stages of the CIM professional qualifications.

This course can also be taken with Psychology – see our BA (Hons) Marketing with Psychology.

Course content

Year one

The first year will introduce the main functions of business. Units studied will include:

• Marketing Principles  and Practice
• Marketing  Analysis
• Understanding Customers and Consumer Law
• Understanding Markets and the Economy People
• Work and Organisations Business Accounting

 

You will also take an optional unit in the second semester, including the opportunity to study a foreign language or another marketing-related topic.

Year two

The second year is designed to develop your understanding of marketing and builds on the learning from year one. Units studied will include:

• Marketing Research and Planning  
• Developing Marketing Communications
• Managing Product Portfolios
• Digital Marketing Strategies
• Research and Quantitative Methods

Additionally, you will study two units, Business Research Methods and Career Management, which will prepare you for your work placement and final-year project.

You will also take an optional unit in the second semester, including the opportunity to study social cause marketing or a foreign language.

Optional placement year

With employers now requiring graduates to have the key business competencies and experience alongside a good degree, work experience is more vital than ever. Due to its very nature, a placement year is the best and most involving type of work experience you can do during your time at University. As such a placement will help insure you are as employable as possible upon graduation.

The placement carries 20 additional credits as well as the externally awarded City & Guilds Licentiateship (employability) award. It will also enable you to return to your studies for the fourth year with contemporary business experience, enabling you to engage in debate and develop your strategic thinking, which could boost your degree classification. It is both a valuable experience in its own right and an important means for reflection on and development of class-based subjects.

The PBS Placements Office will support you not only during your placement search and the subsequent recruitment processes, but also once you secure your placement and are working away from the University.

Don’t just take our word for it though, see what our students think.

Year three

The final year offers the opportunity for further specialisation in marketing and psychology subjects. Units studied include:

• Marketing Strategy
• Global Marketing
• Ethics in Marketing
• Internet Marketing

You will also be required to undertake a piece of independent research in the form of a dissertation, work-based learning project or an independent study project. To complete your studies you will have the opportunity to select topics of interest to you from a wide range of option choices including:

• Services Marketing
• Marketing Communications Strategy
• Personal Selling and Account Management
• Public Relations
• Direct and Database Marketing
• Marketing Research
• Cross-Cultural Awareness for the International Manager
• Entrepreneurship and Enterprise

Teaching and assessment

Here at Portsmouth we place a lot of emphasis on student support. At the start of each academic year you will be assigned a personal tutor, who will be available for regular meetings to discuss your progress, as well as help resolve any problems or questions that you may encounter along the way.

You will encounter a range of teaching methods, from lectures, seminars and tutorials to workshops and team-based projects. You will be taught by experienced marketers with a track record of success in business. Current staff members are drawn from a wide range of industries, including retailing, banking, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, defence, IT, public services and consultancy.

Most have held senior management positions and have international experience. Several have run their own businesses. All are committed to blending their practical experience with a strong grounding in marketing theory, providing a stimulating and academically challenging learning environment.

Assessments are an integral part of our teaching and learning approach. There are half-yearly examinations in most subjects, but also individual and group coursework. We ensure a balance in assessment approaches in order to support the theoretical and practical aspects of the course, and to suit the differing learning styles of our students.

Career prospects

Portsmouth Business School has well-established links with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), the UK’s professional marketing organisation. Degrees are recognised by the CIM and graduates benefit from entry to later stages of the CIM professional qualifications.

These degrees are an excellent starting point for careers in marketing and a placement year sets you ahead of other recent graduates when seeking your first marketing position. Career opportunities include product management, marketing research, advertising, public relations, sales, web-marketing, market analysis, competitive intelligence, marketing management, general management, business strategy and new product development.

Rates of employability among Portsmouth graduates are considerably above the national average and our excellent employment record bears testimony to the quality of our courses and most importantly our students.

Facilities and features

You will attend lectures in the purpose-built Richmond Building, where the Business School is located. It offers a computer drop-in and resource centre containing a wireless network access area, as well as printing and photocopying facilities.

The University Library is at the centre of academic life and is only a short walk away. Open from 8am until midnight every day during term-time, it provides a variety of information to help with study and research.

The Library has also invested heavily in the purchase of electronic resources. There are thousands of electronic journals and ebooks that can be accessed across campus, from home or wherever there is an internet connection.

For international students we have a dedicated team of advisors to support you as you settle into life in Portsmouth and at the University. One of the team almost certainly has direct experience of your culture and may even speak your language.

Entry requirements

View all the entry requirements for BA (Hons) Marketing for the academic year 2012/13 (opens in new window).